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Volume 85 • Issue 32
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Thursday, August 8, 2019
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
City of Mt. Holly holds Strategic Vision event By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
The City of Mt. Holly rolled out its Strategic Vision plans and dreams last week at an event held in the Grand Hall of the Municipal Complex. The Strategic Vision Plan Kick-Off was the culmination of a one-year process that explored Mount Holly’s core community values and its vision for the City’s future. The evening saw community groups as well as City of Mt. Holly set up tables with plenty of information of what they are doing now and in the future to keep the town
on top of growth as well as provide citizens with a great quality of life in the present. The event was open to the public, and free refreshments were served. Mt. Holly’s planning director, Greg Beal, had this to say about the event. “This is a kickoff of the City’s vision and we wanted to get the public involved,” he said. “I think it should be an annual event.” Several Mt. Holly city council members were on hand. Perry Toomey observed the larger number of citizens at the event. “People are very interested in the direction the
city is headed and what new things are coming up,” he said. City manager Danny Jackson was also upbeat about the program. “This is great,” he said. “The people finally get to see what the city will look like in the future.” A perfect example of what Jackson referred to was in the form of several large maps and other graphics that illustrated future locations for such things as greenways and other amenities including a possible bicycle/pedestrian crossing on the NC27 bridge See VISION, Page 9
The FROGS (Friends of the Greenway) group was represented at the Mt. Holly Strategic Vision event by members Anne Hinkle, Jim Hinkle, Janice McCrorie (FROG suit), and Randi Moore. Photos by Alan Hodge
Holy Angels hosts Journey Of Hope By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
GEMS Capt. Lee Cherry with one of the Bicycle Emergency Rescue Team cycles.
GEMS has many facets and bikes are one of the most important By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Most folks associate Gaston County Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) with ambulances moving swiftly down the road to someone’s aid. However, GEMS has several other layers to its
organization and the bicycle squadron- known as Bicycle Emergency Rescue Team or BERT- is one of the most important. GEMS has used bikes in a variety of roles for a long time. See GEMS, Page 5
Speaking of bicycles. The Journey of Hope bike team made its traditional visit to residents of Holy Angels last Friday. This year marks the 24th time the group has stopped by Belmont during their annual 3,000-mile rides across America. “Holy Angels residents and staff look forward to the arrival of Journey of Hope bikers each summer,” said Holy Angels CEO Regina Moody. “For the cyclists, this is a life changing journey as they travel across the country meeting people of all levels of abilities” The Journey of Hope riders are part of The Ability Experience. This group of over 20 cyclists and crew members is one of three Journey of Hope teams that is dedicating its summer to enhancing the lives of thousands of people with disabilities through
Ability Experience riders line up for review after arriving at Holy Angels last Friday. grant funding and community engagement. Along the route, the team partners with local organizations that support people with disabilities by coming
together at Friendship Visits – a time when the team can interact with the people they are riding in support of while giving them an experience unlike any other.
The Journey of Hope team consists of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity men from across the country. See HOPE, Page 8
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